ATHENS, Tenn.— The Montreat College men's basketball team went on the road Wednesday night for an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) matchup against the Tennessee Wesleyan University Bulldogs. The Cavaliers claimed a convincing 10-point victory, 84-74, over the hosts to extend their road winning streak to three. As a result of the contest, the Cavs improved to 5-4 overall (2-2 AAC) while Tennessee Wesleyan fell to 5-4 (4-2 AAC) on the year.
Montreat opened the game with Aden Taylor establishing himself in the paint early with two quick buckets. Other Cavs began to add their name to the scorebook as Owen Stewart hit a nice jumper and Owen Galeota knocked one down from deep. The lead was passed around by both teams during the initial stages, but Galeota's triple and a Zeke Bullington layup handed the Cavaliers an 11-8 advantage around the 16-minute mark. From there, the lead never changed hands again. Amare Elshoush helped to continue the offensive pressure for the visitors by hitting two shots from beyond the arc, as well as a look in the paint.
The latter part of the first half for the Cavs was highlighted by baskets in the paint and points from the free-throw line. In the final ten minutes of play in the initial frame, Montreat scored 20 points, 10 of which were from down low and seven of which came from the charity stripe. This helped the Cavaliers close out the first half with a 44-41 lead.
As the second period began, the Cavs wasted no time in regaining their momentum. Less than three minutes into the half, a jumper and a couple of free throws from Dylan Barnwell capped off a 7-0 run for the Cavaliers, bringing their lead to 51-42. Sticking to what worked in the first frame, the next six Montreat baskets were scored by five different players, and they all came inside the paint. Lawrence Cole delivered the final one of those makes, and he established the game's first double-digit edge at 63-53.
The Bulldogs didn't lie down as they went on a 7-0 spurt of their own at the midpoint of the half, bringing the action to a tight 63-60 scoreline. A couple of clutch 3-pointers from Mike Wade and Bullington helped keep Montreat out of the home team's reach. The Cavaliers finished the league showdown by going 11-for-14 at the free-throw line down the stretch, securing an 84-74 victory in the process.
"Going to Tennessee Wesleyan and getting a win is hard," said head coach Anthony Barringer. "Going in there without our glue guy [RJ Manginello] presented an even bigger challenge. I'm so proud of the young men who suited up for us tonight."
Montreat concluded the game shooting an impressive 51.0 percent from the field (26-51 FG) and 40.0 percent from deep (6-15 3-pt FG). Meanwhile, the away team held TWU to just 40.0 percent overall (26-65 FG) and 35.0 percent from three (7-20 3-pt FG). The Cavaliers held the advantage in rebounds (40-36), but the Bulldogs held the edge in assists (13-5) and steals (13-6). The Cavs also made a season-high 26 free throws.
Six Cavaliers found their way into double figures on Wednesday. Stewart scored 16 points and collected six rebounds, leading the squad's scoring efforts. Barnwell recorded his second double-double of the campaign with season-highs in points (13) and rebounds (11). He also converted seven of his 10 looks at the free-throw line. Cole added 12 points and contributed four boards. Taylor poured in 12 points, while Elshoush and Bullington scored 10 apiece.
In its next game, Montreat will face off against the Bluefield University Rams in another AAC matchup. The game will take place on Saturday in Bluefield, Va., with tipoff set for 4 p.m.
